


If Home Really Was Where The Heart is...

by Forever_Tank



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: 'typical 'move from point a to point b' plotline, (really hoping that isn't a sexual tag), (trying saying that five times fast), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Arguing, Conditioning, Constellations, Drunk philosophy, Drunken Kissing, Escort Mission, F/F, Guard Garnet, Hot Weather, Insults, Late Night Conversations, Minor canon characters with minor roles, Mystery Girl is there for a very short period and is not that important, One Shot, POV Third Person, Pearlnet, Possibly Unrequited(?) Love, Skewed senses of freedom, Spanking, Swearing, black rain, drunken conversations, implied sex, lightning storms, mention of Pink diamond, mention of drug muling, mention of slavery, mention of trafficking, mentioned canon characters but not named, snobby pearl, somewhat sad ending, typical "hate them when they are here but miss them when they are gone"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 00:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forever_Tank/pseuds/Forever_Tank
Summary: Then Pearl wanted to be with Garnet.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little one-shot that popped up while I was playing some good ol' Fallout.

The boiling sun beamed down on Pearl back, flushing the normally pale skin a bright red and slicking it with sweat. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted; an animalistic attempt of cooling down her overheated form. Her feet drug through the rubble and sand, wearing down the soles of her slippers. Pearl could barely keep up with quick pace of the guard in front of her.

“Water…”She whispered hoarsely. The dark woman stopped, tilting her head back at Pearl. An eyebrow raised in question.

“Water.” Pearl repeated, slightly louder. The dark woman turned her head away from her, continuing to walk through the ruined street.

“Eventually.” Was her one-worded reply. Pearl wanted to cry out of desperation. She fell to her knees, scraping them on the jagged rocks and gravel; her exhausted legs refused to move any further.

“Why?!” She called after the woman. She paused again, shoulders rising and falling in what must've been a sigh as she turned around and strode over to Pearl’s kneeled form.

“The rations were enough for a three-day trip.” She replied, hand wrapping around Pearl’s forearm and tugging her up. “We’re halfway there and we are already running low. Eventually.” Pearl’s knees buckled almost immediately after she was pulled to her feet; the woman caught her with ease.

“It’s a hundred and twenty degrees out; I’ll become dehydrated-”

“You’ll be fine.” The dark woman interrupted. Holding her by the forearm, she guided Pearl down their path. Pearl looked up at her with miserable, blue eyes. She seemed entirely unaffected by the boiling heat, her face passive as her mismatched eyes focused on the road ahead. Pearl turned her gaze to the ground, glaring at it as if it was the source of all her problems.

“How much longer until we arrive?” Pearl asked.

“The Green Zone is another 100 miles from here.” Was the woman's curt response. Pearl let out a cry of frustration. They came to a sudden stop. The dark woman stood there, listening. Silence; nothing but the sound of Pearl’s labored breathing and the whistling of the hot wind.

“Don't scream like that.” The woman whispered harshly into Pearl’s ear. Pearl weakly nodded.

“Can’t we move at night, when it's colder?” She asked, hopefully.

“And more dangerous.” The woman added. Pearl knew her enough, even in their short time together, to know that her added comment was a ‘no.’

* * *

 

They continued to walk through the ruined streets, passing by ruined buildings and rubble. Occasionally they strayed away from their path, either from Pearl attempting to seek relief in the shade or her guard guiding her away from a debris blockage. Eventually, Pearl tugged her arm away from the guard, rooting herself to her spot and refusing to move when her guard beckoned her.

“Walk.” The woman ordered. Pearl glared at her, staying stubbornly still.

“We’re taking a break.” Pearl said, wiping sweat off her brow. The woman crossed her arms, staring her down with a bored expression.

“No, we aren’t. Start walking or I’ll carry you.” The woman said. Pearl stayed still, glowering at her. Rolling her blue and brown eyes, her guard stepped forward. Strong arms wrapped around Pearl’s midsection. She let loose a short yelp as she was lifted effortlessly and thrown over the taller woman’s shoulder carelessly. Her fist came down on the woman’s back, her other hand burying itself in the woman's afro and pushing her head back as she struggled.

“Let me go!” Pearl shouted at her. The guard attempted to catch her hand with her own.

“Stop hitting me. I'll let you go when you start cooperating with me.” The guard said simply, unbothered by Pearl’s punches. Pearl growled at the woman. Moving her hand from its resting spot on top of the guard’s afro, she used both hands to smack and scratch at her back.

“I said let me go- Ah!” Pearl let out a cry of surprise and pain, momentarily pausing in her assault. Her rear tingled slightly.

“Di-did you just spank me?” Pearl squeaked out. A bright blush covered her cheeks, though it was barely distinguishable from her sunburn.

“Huh? I thought that was your back.” The guard feigned innocence; Pearl swiveled around just enough to catch a glimpse of a smirk on the guard’s face. Exhausted and embarrassed, she fell limp, begrudgingly allowing herself to be carried.

* * *

 

As soon as the water bottle was offered to her, Pearl snatched it from the woman’s hands and downed it greedily. The other woman watched her with a smirk, taking small sips of her own. The water was gone within seconds; Pearl shook the bottle up and down in an attempt to get the last few drops.

“What do you want for dinner? Tuna or-” the guard squinted at the can as she attempted to read the labeling. “Mystery soup?” Pearl’s nose crinkled in disgust.

“Couldn’t they got given us something else?” Pearl complained, not for first time since they began their trip. The guard chuckled, producing a knife from her belt and opening the can of ‘mystery soup’ with it.

“You’re a spoiled one. I shouldn’t be too surprised though; you're one of Pink Diamond’s own.” The guard asked. She peered inside the can “Huh, tomato.”

“Excuse me? Being Pink Diamond’s personal staff-”

“Servant.” the guard injected, frowning as she stuck her spoon into the can.

“From an outsider’s perspective.” Pearl corrected swiftly. “Being Pink Diamond’s personal staff doesn’t come with great food, but at least it isn't canned mystery soup.” She turned her nose to the air, crossing her arms and looking away from the dark woman.

“Speaking of which-” A can was thrown in her direction; Pearl barely caught in time before it hit the side of her face. “You need to eat. If you are lucky enough, you’ll win the ‘Enter code for a chance to win sweepstakes’ prize” the dark woman said, reading off the lid of her can as reference. Pearl scoffed, but otherwise dug her bony fingers under the tab of the can, opening the soup.

Without further conversation, they ate their food. The guard’s eyes continually scanned for danger, while Pearl’s eyes couldn’t seem to move from the woman's face. The guard briefly caught her gaze and shot her a grin, flustering the sunburnt woman. Pearl focused on her soup and ate faster than necessary, hoping that her blush wasn’t noticeable in the light provided by the fire in front of her.

“How much are you being paid for escorting me?” Pearl asked in an attempt to clear the silence. The guard shrugged.

“There was never an amount agreed on.” She answered honestly. Pearl rolled her eyes.

“I seriously doubt you are doing this out of the kindness of your own heart. There had to be something offered.” Pearl insisted. The woman leaned back on a wooden crate, stretching her legs out and resting them on top of a cinderblock.

“Well, the job was advertised as an escort mission to move a medium priority target from point A to point B. If they advertised it as ‘escort an incessantly complaining, spoiled woman from point A to point B, and carry her half the way because she is too stubborn to move; then maybe I would haggled with them.” The woman stated. Pearl sneered at her.

“Everything you’ve asked me so far has been about the trip; you haven't even asked my name yet. Tell me this is an escort job and not me moving a drug mule.” Garnet stated to the thin woman, looking up at her with wary eyes. Pearl rolled her eyes.

“I'm not; this isn't my first time being escorted. Pink Diamond relocates bases all the time. For complete discretion, no one knows the location except her and the deliverers. I would just like to know how long it will take.” Pearl answered back.

“Here’s a hint; Green Zone doesn't get any closer if you keep asking every 5 minutes.” The woman said sarcastically. Pearl let out an irritated groan. Setting aside her empty can, she moved to lie down on her sleeping mat, staring up at the stars above. Pearl was able to make out the summer triangle amongst the shining stars, using a thin finger to trace its shape out in the cool air.

“What is your name anyway?” Pearl murmured after a moment of thought, sparing a glance over at the woman's direction and squinting at her.

“Garnet.” She replied, offering a soft smile. Her gaze fixated elsewhere, face becoming passive. Pearl nodded. Her eyes moved back to the night sky.

“That’s a nice name.” Pearl commented. Garnet hummed in response.

 Half asleep, Pearl was jolted awake by another violent shiver. At this point, the boiling heat of the day seemed much more welcoming than the bone-chilling night; her arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to warm herself up. She could barely make out footsteps behind her, growing steadily louder until they stopped in front of her. She could hear the rustling of cloth, before something warm was placed on top of her. Instinctively, Pearl curled up as much she could so the cloth would cover most of her shivering frame. Slowly, she fell back asleep.

* * *

 

The day was noticeably cooler than the last, the breeze flowing through the ruined town refreshingly cool rather than hot and dry. Even the sun didn't seem to bare down as much as it did before; it mostly stayed behind dark clouds, and whenever it peeked out, the heat was barely noticeable. All the more reason for Pearl to hold on to Garnet’s jacket, though she did half-heartedly insist on giving it back when she had awoken.

At a decent pace, they trekked through the streets in silence. Not once did Pearl ask what their distance was, and not once did she halt in the middle of the road and refuse to move. Garnet liked to think that their brief conversation made Pearl realize how insufferable she was being. Around midday, the collapsed buildings and rubble disappeared behind them, and they came across a rusted sign that read “Now leaving-Empire City”

“This is good” Garnet had said. “It means we’re close.” Pearl had sincerely doubted that claim, but it was still a nice thought to have. Moving along the road, Pearl noticed Garnet’s gaze was mostly on the ground, only briefly looking up to make sure she wasn't walking into an obstacle.

“What’s so interesting about the ground?” Pearl asked Garnet finally, looking down at the ground as well.

“Mines.” Garnet replied. “This is a hot spot for them. We’ve passed a few already.” Pearl’s heart felt as though it stopped at the dark woman's words.

“Th-that’s nice to know about!” Pearl exclaimed sarcastically. Her gaze became fixated on the ground, eyes traveling from one side of the road to the other nervously.

“I didn't want to say anything because I knew it would make you nervous. It’s a lot easier to avoid them when you are calm.” Garnet said. This fell on deaf ears; Pearl still examined every inch of the ground in front of her. Garnet rolled her eyes.

“Least she’s cautious’ She thought to herself. They moved through the road with little encounter; only once did Garnet nearly lose her footing when avoiding a mine. Luckily, she caught herself before she could fall on top of it, but it only served to increase the thin woman’s worry.

The sky had darkened to an alarming extent, almost resembling a moonless night. The pair stumbled through the road until Garnet halted her. The early breeze had turned into a howling wind; Pearl’s hair whipped her in the face, obscuring her vision.

“Thunderstorm.” As if on cue, a bolt of lightning shot through the sky, striking the ground in the far distance. “Scratch that; Lightning storm. It’s close, we need to move.”

“Shouldn’t we seek shelter?” Pearl asked frantically, jumping when lightning struck across the sky again, emitting a thunderous roar in its wake.

“Give me a suggestion.” Garnet asked, turning towards Peal. The reply seemed genuine enough; Garnet was looking at her curiously. Pearl pointed behind her.

“We can go back into one of the buildings.” Pearl suggested. Garnet let out a laugh, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“No, we aren’t back-tracking. I’ve been struck by lightning before; I can deal with it again. Keep your head down.” Garnet shot the down the idea. Pearl narrowed her eyes at her.

“We shouldn’t be outside!” With comedic timing, lightning flashed in the sky again. “It’s dangerous!”

“I’m on a time limit.” Garnet retorted, stepping towards Pearl in a somewhat threatening manner. “No more stopping; we’re moving.”

“No, I refuse!” Pearl shot back. “What if it turns into a radiation storm, then what?”

“I’ve got a gas mask-“

“Like that would help!” Pearl interrupted, fire in her eyes. The peacefulness between them that came from their late-night conversation had been left in the dust; they were back to arguing needlessly.

“Let me take a guess; one of the lies you are spoon-fed by Pink Diamond is the infamous ‘Radiation storms melts the skin off your bones’ one.” Garnet retorted. She rolled her mismatched eyes. “Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.” Pearl took a step back.

“Excuse me?” It was more of a dare for Garnet to repeat herself, something that would always deter mouthy travelers that passed through Pink Diamond’s base every now and then. Unfortunately for Pearl, it didn’t seem to work as well on Garnet as it did on others. Garnet crossed her arms and lifted her head up a bit, straightening her posture.

“I didn’t stutter.” She said. Pearl opened and closed her mouth as she attempted to think of a response. Her face turned red with anger. At the end of her rope, Pearl blew up.

“Y-You insufferable twat!” Pearl’s next words came out barely comprehensible as she raged on; emotions pouring from her mouth and logic left behind. Garnet simply stood there and listened to her berating. Finally, Pearl stopped, breathing heavily as she glared up at the dark woman.

“I’ll admit; I’ve never heard insults as creative as yours.”  Garnet finally said, her annoying smirk appearing on her face. Pearl let out a groan, covering her eyes with her hand. Thunder boomed above them; soot colored rain began to fall down. Feeling the first few drops on her head, Pearl moved her hand away from her eyes. The same thin hand reached out to catch the raindrops; she stared at their dark color.

“Black rain.” Garnet answered her silent question. “Pretty common; not good for drinking.” Pearl peered at her curiously.

“Speaking from experience?” The question was mostly out of curiosity, but there was a hint of snark to it.

“4 separate experiences; I wasn't a very smart kid.” Garnet replied. The air between them began to calm as hostility faded away. Garnet turned away from Pearl, moving forward.

“Let’s go.” Deciding that anymore arguing was useless, Pearl followed her guard.

* * *

 

“Blue and red socks? Really?” Pearl said, eyeing Garnet’s feet. Garnet chuckled, setting her boots aside near her supply bag.

“Reminds me of my mums’.” Garnet said. She grabbed her supply bag and fished through it. She threw a water bottle towards Pearl. She then produced a flask from an inner pocket.

“You’re drinking?” Pearl sneered. Garnet grinned at her.

“I don't get drunk easily.” With that said she twisted the cap off and took a swig from it. Pearl frowned, eyeing her water bottle, and then the flask. She scooted towards Garnet.

“Let me have some.” Pearl demanded more than asked. Seemingly pleased at the demand, the flask was offered to Pearl. Taking it from the dark woman's hand, Pearl took a sip from it. She immediately coughed and sputtered.

“Th-that’s really strong.” She choked out. Garnet let out a laugh.

“It’s whiskey; I'm assuming you've never had hard liquor before.”

“Only wine; drug intakes are regulated.” Pearl replied. She took another drink, this time keeping it down. They passed the flask around, each taking a drink from it before handing it off. They kept a short conversation between passes; topics’ ranging from childhood occurrences, to how close the Green Zone was, to constellations.

“That one is Orion.” Pearl had pointed up to a cluster of stars in the sky. Garnet squinted at them in an attempt to make out the shape.” I have a book of constellations in my collection at home”

“My mum used to tell me we were all made of stars at one point. Maybe Orion will come down one day.” Garnet said in response. Pearl wanted to correct her by citing the old biology books she found locked away in Pink Diamond’s personal library, but she decided it was no use convincing an outsider.

During their last pass of the flask, Pearl realized that the increasing fogginess of her mind wasn't due to lack of sleep or dehydration. She had also realized that Garnet may have been affected as well.

“5 times!” She shouted with more anger than necessary. “5 times I was struck by lightning! Those little shitheads back at Percy used to call me ‘Sparky’.” Pearl giggled, face flushed red. Garnet whipped her head towards Pearl, grinning from ear to ear at her; their eyes meeting. Pearl’s giggled slowly faded as she locked her icy blue eyes with Garnet’s mismatched ones. Garnet’s expression fell into neutrality.

“Fuck you’re hot.” Garnet said bluntly. Pearl opened her mouth, wider than normal, in surprise.

“Really?” Pearl said, hiccupping  the ‘e’. Garnet nodded.

“Yes, I like your eyes.” Garnet slurred. Pearl sat there, hands moving to Garnet’s strong shoulders.

“I like yours too, they’re colorful!” Pearl replied giddily. Her hand moved from Garnet’s shoulder to tangle her fingers in Garnet’s afro. Garnet's hand moved to grip at Pearl’s wrist, fingers easily wrapping around it. Her other hand moved towards her back, pushing Pearl forward until she ended up in her lap.

“I’m serious though.” Garnet murmured, remaining eye contact with Pearl. “You’re beautiful. Your personality is shit though.” The insult at the end didn't affect Pearl as much as it would if she was sober. Pearl leaned forward.

“I like you better than the other guards that escorted me before. You don't cater to me just because you think it will put you in Pink Diamond’s favor. You just see this as another job.” Pearl admitted, tongue loose and innermost thoughts spilling free.

“I didn't know who Pink Diamond was before this. I have no reason to impress her.” Garnet slurred, eyes becoming half lidded. Pearl moved in even closer, their lips almost touching.

“Her notoriety gets me in trouble with my escorts sometimes. One tried to trade me to a trafficker while I was sleeping. Pink Diamond’s staffs are a high price in the slave market.” Pearl explained drunkenly. A frown pulled on Garnet’s thick lips. She moved away from Pearl, letting out a small ‘hic’

“Don't you want to be free? You’re subjected to slavery with her” Garnet’s voice took on a tone of concern. Pearl shook her head from side to side, glazed over eyes looking at Garnet with mixed emotion.

“I am free. It looks bad from the outside, but everything is systematic; it’s order. Outsiders know no order.” Pearl defended herself. “They only know survival.”

“If order is being born in a lab, not knowing either of my parents because they were both donors, and being conditioned to do a certain job for the rest of my life, only to be killed when I outlive my usefulness-”Garnet left the response in the air for effect.” then I want no part of it.”

“It's not like that. Outsiders are so misinformed.” Pearl growled. She began to push herself out of Garnet’s grasp. Garnet held onto her stubbornly.

“You weren't conditioned to know anything else. You wouldn't understand what freedom truly is.” Garnet murmured.

“Freedom is subjective.” Pearl said. They sat in silence; Pearl moved forward again. Both hands tangled into her afro as she tugged Garnet forward. Their faces remained inches away from another.

“I thought being drunk would be more about making mistakes than having philosophical conversations.” Pearl said, still slurring some of her words. Garnet laughed, leaning forward so their foreheads pressed together.

“I'm still foggy; plenty of time to start making mistakes.” With that, she closed the last bit of distance between them. The kiss was sloppy, teeth clacked together more than once, and they occasionally had to angle their heads a different way because their noses got in the way. Slowly, however, they became in sync.

It didn't take much to escalate from there.

* * *

 

“Garnet.”

“Shut up.” She yanked her pants on, fumbling with her zipper and button.

“Garnet, please.” Pearl begged her, eyes brimming with tears. Garnet glared at her from behind her shoulder.

“Get dressed.” She buckled her belt up. Her shirt was picked up off the gravel and promptly shaken; flinging leftover dirt and sand off it. Garnet pulled her shirt on over her head.

“Garn-”

“Meet me by the road.” Garnet interrupted coldly. She grabbed her holster off the ground and strapped it to her chest. Her supply bag was picked up and thrown over her shoulder. She spared a single glance over to her jacket. Garnet stormed away from the makeshift camp. Pearl sniffled, rubbing at her eyes with her arm; the dirt on her skin and the wetness of her tears smeared a muddy creation across her face.

She stood up from her sleeping mat, grabbing her disregarded clothes and pulling them on; she pulled on the jacket as well. The mat was gathered and rolled up. Pearl tucked it under her arm and headed toward the direction of the road. Garnet was consulting a map, drawing imaginary lines with her fingers, occasionally looking in different directions.

“Green Zone is another 5 miles.” Garnet stated. The map was promptly rolled up and stuffed back into her supply bag. Pearl’s heart felt heavy at the thought of the trip ending. All her earlier feelings had melted away in the night when the intimate connection was created between her and the guard.

“I'm sorry.” Pearl muttered. Garnet stiffened.

“Don't be; it was a mistake on both ends.” Garnet replied curtly. She started to move forward.

Mistake.

The word rang through her head over and over again. They were mostly inebriated, sure, but Pearl hadn’t felt such a strong emotion towards another person before. With Pink Diamond, lovers were paired accordingly based on class and rank. Pearl happened to be a class that was not meant to be paired with. She was conditioned endlessly to believe that, but being with Garnet felt _right_.

“Is that how it is with outsiders?” Pearl said to herself, eyes focused on the cracked and ruined pavement. “Sleep with whomever for any reason? No permanent attachment?” The words had reached Garnet’s ears, but were ignored.

“Is that freedom?” Garnet stopped in her tracks.

“Yes. Nothing is decided for us; whatever happens- happens. We either regret it and move on or accept it.” Garnet replied.

“And you regret it?” Pearl asked her. Garnet fell silent. She bit the inside of her cheek.

“We’ve known each other for exactly 3 days.” Was her response. “And we’ll never see each other again after this.” Garnet turned towards Pearl, intense gaze burning into her.

“I don't want to be attached.” The words cut through Pearl, but gave her a semblance of hope; at least maybe she didn't regret it. Garnet turned on her heel and moved again; Pearl followed closely behind.

“I just don't understand you. Why are you different than the others?” Pearl murmured.

“I'm not different.” Garnet replied simply. Pearl grimaced.

“Then am I broken? Pink Diamond won't be pleased about this; she’ll have to recondition me again.” Pearl wrung her hands together nervously, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Nothing about you is broken. You are human; you have your own feelings.” Garnet snapped, looking back at her, eyes filled with anger. Pearl hoped it wasn't directed at her.

* * *

 

Green Zone was a rundown military training ground, long abandoned even before the war. It was commonly used as an outpost for the diamonds; most notably Pink Diamond. There were already makeshift trucks lined up at the end of the road, near the ruined barracks, and there were soldiers guiding people into them. Pearl and Garnet entered through the front yard, barren except for debris and a single wilted flower growing in the dirt.

Pearl looked over at the boarding trucks, sadness on her sunburnt features. She looked back over to Garnet, who looked indifferent.

“You did well, Merc.” Said a woman approaching them. Pearl noticed her haircut, short on one side and long on the other, with a coloration of pink to it. She recognized the person as ‘S’, a contracted deliverer. Garnet seemed mesmerized by her pink hair; her eyes were fixated on it and  her mouth was slightly ajar. S scoffed.

“Outsiders.” S said snarkily, shooting a grin over to Pearl. Pearl weakly nodded. S reached a hand into her pocket, pulling out a small box and placing it in Garnet’s outstretched hand. Garnet immediately popped the lid off and began to examine the contents.

“That’s the amount offered. Is it to your liking?” S asked. Garnet nodded, and closed the box.

‘She wasn't lying about the payment, at least’ Pearl thought to herself. Garnet turned to Pearl and stuck her hand out.

“It was nice traveling with you, Pearl.” Garnet said. Pearl noticed S’s watchful eyes, along with a few other soldiers and people. Instead of taking her hand, she offered a curtsy to her instead, surprising the woman.

“Thank you for your services, ma’am.” Pearl said. She was no longer on the road, with only her and Garnet in sight; she was in the eyes of superior officers and people of her own kind, and therefore followed her ingrained protocol. Garnet slowly retracted her hand back to her side.

“R-Right, you’re welcome.” Garnet said, a slight stutter in her tone. S nodded, and then gestured for Pearl to follow her. As soon as they began to move, Pearl remembered that she was still wearing Garnet’s jacket. She started to pull it off.

“Keep it.” Garnet said, before Pearl could even get an arm out of the oversized sleeve. Pearl shot her a panicked look, which quickly turned over to S. Upon seeing that S hadn't even noticed her stopping, Pearl breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you.” It was whispered. Pearl clasped her hands together and kept her head down as she followed S back to the trucks. Garnet watched after her. She ran her fingers through her afro, dirty from black rain and lying in the gravel.

“Here.” Garnet jumped slightly, whipping around to find a woman even taller than she was holding out a bag.

“Supplies for the way back.” She said. Garnet nodded and thanked her, taking it by the straps and throwing it over her opposite shoulder. The woman turned away from her and walked off. She moved around to face the road. With a long sigh, Garnet began to make her trek back to Percy.

* * *

 

Thin hands fumbled with the collar of the jacket, thumbing at the worn leather and ripped cloth. Her eyes traveled around the truck, meeting the grim and scared faces of the other ‘Pearl’ classes. Quietly, they talked amongst themselves, mostly about their trips or how there was a Pearl or two missing.

“Do you think she’s alive?” A lanky woman- girl; she looked far too young to be called a woman- with messy hair whispered to her companion.

“Her escort looked really shifty. I bet she was sold.” Pearl grimaced as she thought of her own experience with nearly being trafficked.

“That one is the lucky one; she got to keep a jacket.” It was directed towards her, and it was obviously meant to be heard.

“Quarantine will take it from her. They wouldn't let such outsider filth through.” Pearl gripped the fabric of her dirty shorts, gritting her teeth. Garnet wasn't filth.

“Cheer up.” Another class member nudged her with her elbow. “At least it’s finally over, we can go back home.”

If home was really where the heart is, as the saying of the old world goes, then Pearl wanted to be with Garnet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
